Maine: Let the People Decide on Marijuana Legalization!

by Erik Altieri, NORML Communications DirectorMay 21, 2013

Residents of Maine may get the opportunity to vote on ending their state’s marijuana prohibition this fall, if lawmakers approve of an amended version of LD 1229: An Act to Tax and Regulate Marijuana in the coming weeks.

LD 1229 was introduced earlier in the session by Representative Diane Russell (D-Portland) and 35 co-sponsors. Despite the unprecedented legislative support, the measure faced a challenging work session last week, which initially looked as if it would scuttle the bill entirely.

Fortunately for supporters of ending prohibition, the fight continues on despite the negative recommendation out of committee. Representative Russell and the bill’s supporters intend to take the fight for legalization to the House floor in the coming weeks and they need our help. Thanks to amendments offered by Senators Plummer and Wilson, LD 1229 was revised to contain only a simple referenda component. If the amended bill is approved, it would place the question of whether or not to legalize marijuana on the ballot in Maine this fall. It will be a straight up or down vote on marijuana legalization, regulatory authority will fall to the legislature if the people of Maine vote in favor of this measure.

If you live in Maine, it is more imperative than ever that you reach out to your elected officials and urge them to support LD 1229. Regardless of their opinion on marijuana legalization itself, they should support this legislation which would allow the people of Maine to voice their opinion on this incredibly important issue. Tell your state politicians to “Let the People Decide” and to support LD 1229. Click here to quickly and easily do so.

Whether you live in Maine or not, we encourage you to sign this petition being circulated by the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Russell, and help us send a resounding message to lawmakers in Maine that it is time to let the people vote on this issue.

13 Responses to “Maine: Let the People Decide on Marijuana Legalization!”

seriously. make it legal. why go through the trouble of fighting the herb. I mean just cause your apart of the government and u get money from taxes from alcohol and cigarettes, which kill hundreds of thousands yearly, but its okay cause its taxed and you get a cut. seriously its not like the world is gonna go into a full scale riot, its weed. people will do what they normally do. go get nugs. smoke em. and chill the fuck out

This is NOT good and should NOT be supported… this puts ALL of the details in the hands of the legislature and true to their past actions, they will fail on all counts! Crappy laws, once codified, are difficult to fix and take many years to do so. What Mainers need is a good Maine based bill designed to benefit Mainers…

As a nursing student, through countless hours of research, I have come to the conclusion that there is more science supporting marijuana legalization than there is against it. People can pretend that it hinders teenagers ability to accomplish tasks in school. I am on the Dean’s list at my local college and I will be a nurse in less than a year.. and I’m a pot smoker. *gasp* Recent studies have shown that marijuana helps AIDS patients, Crohn’s, Chronic pain, Diabetes, Cancer, Lou Gehrig’s, etc etc. Legalizing marijuana would help to control use among younger people by making it only available to those over 21. Also, it would keep kids from having relationships with drug dealers because there would be no need for drug dealers. Tax revenues would increase to benefit the state and benefit economy. It’s a no-brainer to me to legalize pot. The only thing keeping it illegal is the stigma people have about it. If you’re against legalization, I urge you to research more because you ruin people’s lives making it illegal. You ruin people’s lives by sending them to jail for simple possession and you ruin patients lives by labeling them criminals for using the only thing that will help them. WAKE UP! LEGALIZE IT!

@Steve Ruhl: You’ve got a good point, but what would be a better option? Try to pass a bill that directly legalizes marijuana, rather than deferring the decision to citizens via referendum? That would still put regulative authority in the hands of the state – that part is unavoidable. Might as well appreciate what we are getting. Citizens are more likely to vote in legalization than legislators are anyways, and with the referendum process we might see it done even sooner, by this fall.

Thanks for your comments Chase! A citizens initiative IS the best way to go, if it’s carefully worded so that it makes it difficult for legislators to go against the “intent” of the people’s desires. This is not a citizen’s initiative, it is a MPP funded bill submitted by legislators, with most of the language to be determined by legislative committees. You are correct in saying that legislators are loath to vote for “legalization”… this bill puts 100% of the control of the language in the hands of those same legislators. We’ve all worked too hard and too long to settle for the first bad attempt that comes along. We deserve much better… imho.

M. Lunsford:
“If you’re against legalization, I urge you to research more because you ruin people’s lives making it illegal. You ruin people’s lives by sending them to jail for simple possession and you ruin patients lives by labeling them criminals for using the only thing that will help them. WAKE UP! LEGALIZE IT!”

You took the words out of my mouth. I’ve been studying this subject for the last one or two months. Here in Finland we are trying to urge the Parliament to start to discuss about legalization. I’ve done my very best to wake people up on this matter by posting my findings on every possible websites.

Cannabis is a medication. Those patients who consume it for their maladies know whether it works or not and came to that conculusion without the governments’ help or respect, the danger of deadly overdose, and the compounding of other medications experimented with concurrent with cannabis. Prohibitionists are passionate about their disrespect for patients rights until they become one themselves.

One of the things that I love Maineiacs for, is how laid back they are. One of the problems in getting anything done in this state, is getting people off their laid back butts to air their voices in a vociferous manner about such important matters. Where the heck are the high profile pot advocates when we really need them. We need large rally’s, concerts and other public support gatherings, with people such as Steven King, etal, to bring a high beam spotlight on this issue, until it is decided. Do not let these legislators take over this all too important, and historical decision. Let us demand that the peoples voice be heard, and very loudly.